1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic musical instrument having a rhythm performance function, and more particularly to an electronic musical instrument having plural rhythm tone source channels to which rhythm tone kind designating information is applied.
2. Prior Art
The known first conventional rhythm performance apparatus having plural rhythm tone source channels (as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 59-191) assigns plural rhythm tone kinds to be performed (e.g., rhythm tones of bass drum, cymbal, snare drum, ...) to plural rhythm tone source channels. By selectively driving these rhythm tone source channels in accordance with rhythm patterns concerning the rhythm kind (e.g., march) to be performed, the rhythm performance is automatically done.
However, the above-mentioned first conventional rhythm performance apparatus is disadvantageous in that the rhythm kinds to be performed must be fixed. For example, when the conventional rhythm performance apparatus provides eight rhythm tone source channels, the number of rhythm tones to be generated must be fixed at eight. In such case, it is impossible to use sixteen rhythm tone kinds (which is larger than the number of channels) and thereby do the rhythm performance whose contents is complicated and variable.
In order to do such complicated rhythm performance in the conventional rhythm performance apparatus, the number of channels must be increased, so that its constitution must be complicated.
As the second conventional rhythm performance apparatus, a rhythm pattern program apparatus (as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 54-48515) is known. This apparatus provides recording means having plural recording tracks each corresponding to each of plural rhythm tone kinds, wherein tone-generation timing information is written into each recording track.
In order to program many kinds of rhythm patterns (or many rhythm kinds) such as the march, waltz, rumba and the like, the above-mentioned second conventional apparatus must provide thirty-two recording tracks if thirty-two rhythm tone kinds are used, for example. For this reason, the second conventional apparatus is disadvantageous in that the memory having large memory capacity must be required as the recording means.
As the third conventional rhythm performance apparatus, the rhythm performance apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-18471 is known.
In the above-mentioned third conventional rhythm performance apparatus, each rhythm tone kind corresponds to each rhythm tone source channel. Hence, in order to increase the number of rhythm tone kinds which can be generated, the number of rhythm tone source channels must be increased, so that the third conventional rhythm performance apparatus is disadvantageous in that its constitution must be complicated.
In order to eliminate the above disadvantage, it can be considered that plural rhythm tone kinds are assigned to each rhythm tone source channel. For example, sixteen rhythm tone kinds are assigned to eight rhythm tone source channels. However, in the case where the rhythm tones in eight channels are all generated, it is impossible to simultaneously generate a new rhythm tone. For this reason, the third conventional rhythm performance apparatus is disadvantageous in that performance expression must be limited in the rhythm performance having high speed tempo or in the rhythm tone generation with short time interval.
As the fourth conventional rhythm performance apparatus, a manual rhythm (or hand-percussion) performance apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 61-116397 is known. This apparatus can generate a single rhythm tone corresponding to the selected rhythm tone kind at every time when an operable member corresponding to a specific rhythm tone kind is operated.
However, in order to generate a drum tone as a roll tone (i.e., continuous tone) in the above apparatus, a player must continuously turn on and off the operable member corresponding to such drum tone. For this reason, this fourth conventional rhythm performance apparatus is disadvantageous in that its operation is very troublesome.